Interview with author Betty Meyette

Today, I’m introducing you to author Betty Meyette. This was a fun interview has me looking forward to a “failed” retirement and gave me new acronyms (something us government types like) IMC and DAM. Look for them and enjoy!

 Me: Tell me a little about yourself.

Betty Meyette: Hi Synithia. Thanks for inviting me to your blog. I grew up in upstate New York, and now I live in Michigan with my beloved husband, Rich.  We have three grown children with spouses/significant others: our daughter Kate and her husband Todd, son Matt and his girlfriend Rachel, and daughter Kristin, her husband Tedd and our grandchildren Tommy and Molly. I retired from teaching early to pursue my writing career and I haven’t looked back.  I say I “failed” retirement because I work hard every day. But it doesn’t feel like work because I love it so!

My note: Can I have that same “failed” retirement plan? 🙂 Love it!

Me: Describe your journey to becoming published?

BM: I published my first poem when I was in high school, and I’ve published some poetry since.  Love’s Destiny is my debut novel and I call it my IMC (In My Closet) novel because it sat there for many years. (English teachers don’t have time to write and revise) I was in the process of self-publishing when I saw a call for manuscripts from Crimson Romance.  Rich was sitting in my office when I submitted it, and as soon as I hit the Send button I went into a panic because my name was nowhere on the manuscript! But not to worry, I heard back from them really fast when I received that wonderful email from my editor Jennifer Lawler. It has been an exciting ride since then. It was so exciting as I got my editing revisions, then my final galley proofs, a picture of my book’s cover finally June 4 arrived when Love’s Destiny was published as an ebook.

Me: Tell me about your book?

 BM: Love’s Destiny is a historical romance set in colonial Williamsburg right before the American Revolution.  Emily Wentworth is a seventeen-year-old English girl whose father dies at sea leaving her and her brother orphaned.  In his will, George Wentworth appoints his good friend Jonathan Brentwood as his children’s guardian. Jonathon is a colonial planter and sea captain who thinks George’s children are quite young since that’s how father’s talk about their children. Emily assumes her guardian will be her father’s age, which he isn’t, he is twenty-eight.  When they meet it is instant attraction which they both fight for many reasons.  They sail to Virginia colony where rebellion is brewing and Jonathon is working for the patriot cause. Emily doesn’t understand this since she grew up in England. The guardian/ward relationship, polar political views and a Jonathon’s former lover all conspire to keep them apart.

 Me: Who or what inspires you as a writer?

BM: Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love talks about divine attendant spirits, or the muse in the wall, that whispers inspiration in our ears.  I totally agree with that. There are days when I write like a maniac, and when I read it aloud it’s like I’m hearing it for the first time. It’s gotta be my muse. Rich laughs when I say my d.a.m. inspiration is at work (dam=divine attendant muse). I am also inspired by snatches of conversation that I randomly hear, or as I am walking along the lake. Sometime as I am waking up or falling asleep I am inspired. I keep a notebook and a journal on my bedside table.

Me: When do you make time for writing?

BM: I am so fortunate to dictate my own schedule for writing.  When I retired, I set aside Tuesdays and Thursdays as writing days—nothing else could happen on those days, they were sacrosanct.  Soon, I realized that I needed more time, so I booked Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays instead as writing days.  Well, now I write every day. I think my d.a.m. inspiration was giggling behind my back when I thought I could limit my writing days to three.

Me: Why do you write romance?

BM: I write romance because I believe in romance. To me, that crazy, intense feeling that you have when you fall in love is one of the strongest emotions there is. Bringing that to life through words and characters is so fun, and who doesn’t love to revisit those feelings?  I love happy endings, too.  Don’t get me wrong, I do read other genres and I taught English, so I’ve read plenty of books that don’t have happy endings (think of the poor Joads, Tom Robinson, or Jay Gatsby—not to mention Romeo & Juliet!) but there’s nothing more satisfying than when lovers end up happy.

Me: What advice do you have for other writers?

BM: Believe in yourself and follow your dream.  I think many of my colleagues humored me and rolled their eyes when I talked about publishing my book someday.  They were very supportive, but many people have a book in their closet, so how was I different?  Well, I’m here to tell you that my dream has come true.  I’ve always loved my characters and their story, and thank goodness, they never gave up on me!

Thanks for the interview, Synithia, and best of luck with your book, You Can’t Plan Love!

Thank you, Betty, for such a fun interview! Y’all can keep up with Betty through Facebook, Twitter and on her website.